


We Meet Again

by songofdefiance



Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: DOTO spoilers, Gen, Human!Outsider, Post-Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 04:31:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12809667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/songofdefiance/pseuds/songofdefiance
Summary: “I’ll set up a resort here.  ‘Come experience all the horrors the Void has to offer.  Visit once and you’ll never sleep properly again.’”The Outsider smirked at her.  “’People who want to be turned to stone especially welcome.’”





	We Meet Again

**Author's Note:**

> For this prompt: "People's reactions to meeting human!Outsider. (Bonus points for different ships)". No ships, but this was a lot of fun!

_Billie_

“Do you think that the Eyeless have any Serkonan plantains lying around?”

Billie snorted.  “Food wasn’t exactly the first thing on my mind when I was trying not to get speared by Envisioned.  But considering that most of the cultists don’t seem to leave the mountain  _ever_ , I’d say your chances are pretty high.”

Seeing him perk up, she added, “But we’re  _not_ detouring from getting out of here.  There could still be Envisioned around.”

The Outsider glanced at a pile of snoring cultists that they passed.  “Only Envisioned, I’m guessing?”

“You weren’t watching?”

“I was somewhat preoccupied over what I assumed was my impending death.”

Billie held back another snort, and instead said, completely deadpan, “Don’t assume, it just makes an ass out of you and me.”

The Outsider  _laughed_.  Threw back his head and let out an honest-to-Void laugh, clearly uncaring that it echoed throughout the Eyeless’ hideout.  Billie didn’t have the heart to shush him, turning away to hide a smile.  

It had taken him a little while to re-learn to walk - to put one foot in front of the other and keep his balance - but by the time they stumbled out of the ritual hold, he didn’t need to hang on to Billie’s arm any longer.  He was, unsurprisingly, ravenous, and stopped to grab whatever food was lying around on their way.  He’d already eaten half a loaf of bread and two apples.

The Outsider was, as Billie suspected he might be, fascinated by all the things he didn’t get to experience when he was… well, when he was the Outsider.  He also, however, held onto the wry cynicism with which he’d spoken to Billie, and seemed especially prone to sarcasm.

Which suited her just fine.  It was nice to be around someone who could keep up with her.

The Outsider spoke up again.  “It does sort of have an aesthetic beauty to it, doesn’t it?  If you ignore the cold, unwelcome feeling it has.”

“I’ll set up a resort here.  ‘Come experience all the horrors the Void has to offer.  Visit once and you’ll never sleep properly again.’”

The Outsider smirked at her.  “’People who want to be turned to stone especially welcome.’”

This time, they both laughed.

* * *

_Emily_

“Your majesty, perhaps you’d like to pick your jaw up off the floor.”

Emily snapped her mouth closed, shaking herself and wondering if this was a dream - but when she pinched herself, the Outsider was still in front of her.  He had his hands folded behind his back, a position she was used to see, but the eyes were… different.

“How?” was all she could ask.

“Well…”  And for the first time, he looked hesitant.  “That would be the reason why I wanted a private audience.”

Emily was about to ask what he meant by that when there was a violet flash, and Meagan Foster - Billie Lurk - appeared next to him, arms folded, like she’d been standing there the entire time.

“Mea -”  Emily cut herself off, once again finding herself struggling to close her mouth.  “Billie.  What - ?”

“It’s a long story,” Billie said, with the air of someone who would rather be anywhere else.

Emily couldn’t stop herself from smiling, standing and moving towards them.  Billie eyed her nervously, though the Outsider seemed less so.  Emily placed one hand on each of their shoulders, letting her ‘Imperial Majesty Emily Kaldwin’ mask fall away completely.  

“I don’t know about you two,” she said.  “But I could use a drink.”

* * *

_Corvo_

It was hard to believe that he was actually here, and not visiting in what Corvo sometimes could swear were fever dreams, but the profile (though he was facing away from him) was unmistakable.  

The last time Corvo had been visited by the Outsider, it had been a few weeks after Emily had overthrown Delilah and rescued Corvo.  He had offered to return Corvo’s Mark to him, which Corvo had refused, saying that he had gotten by without using it for fifteen years, and that he could continue to do so.

At that moment, the Outsider was staring down at Jessamine’s grave, while the sun started its ascent.  Corvo moved silently to stand next to him, also turning his gaze to the gravestone.

“Hello, Corvo,” the Outsider said.  “Emily was kind enough to offer me - and my… friend - a place to stay.”

Corvo huffed.  “I know it’s Billie Lurk.  You don’t have to dance around it.”

“Oh,” the Outsider said, sounding awkward, for once.  “Right.  At any rate, I’m sorry I didn’t come to speak to you sooner.  I’ve been… thinking.”

“About?”

The Outsider shrugged.  “What I’ll do now.  Before - when Billie first released me - there was… so much to think about.  Being able to hear so much, and see color, and eat and smell - not to mention Billie figuring out a way to set me up with a fake identity.  And then the decision to come here… I didn’t really consider what I would do with the rest of my life.  I didn’t really realize that I  _have_ a life to live.”

He paused, but he seemed like he still had more to say.  Corvo found the Outsider’s willingness to be candid - after many conversations filled with nothing but cryptic words - refreshing.

“Emily says I’m welcome to stay,” he said.  “I think she’s trying to convince Billie to stay as well.  I just… I’m not sure if that’s what I want.”

Corvo hummed thoughtfully.  “Maybe the point of all this is that whatever you end up doing, it’ll be your decision, in the end.”

They were both quiet, for a moment, and then the Outsider looked over at Corvo, smiling.  “Maybe it is.”


End file.
